Thread: Byzantine mystery suicide? Jacky Sutton found

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Former BBC Journalist, UN Investigator Allegedly Hangs Herself In Airport

Former BBC journalist and United Nations official Jacky Sutton was found dead in a bathroom at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on Saturday night after reportedly committing suicide. Sutton flew from London to Istanbul before apparently missing her flight to Irbil, Iraq and hanging herself in the restroom shortly afterwards.

Sutton had been working in Irbil in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. CNN reported the death was confirmed by Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Turkish police have released the CCTV footage of Sutton at the airport. Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary.

Anthony Borden, Director of IWPR, told IB Times UK of Sutton:

Jacky Sutton was a veteran journalist and media development expert, and worked closely with IWPR long before joining us.

She spent two years at the BBC World Service in 1998-2000, reporting from Africa and the Middle East as well as in London. She went on to serve with the United Nations in numerous senior roles that took her from Afghanistan and Iran to West Africa and Gaza, and in 2008, Iraq.

Borden also said several of Sutton’s colleagues will be traveling to Istanbul to talk with U.K. consulate officials and to attempt to speak to Turkish investigators. Indeed, several of Sutton’s friends and co-workers expressed their disbelief via Twitter.

Jane Pearce, Iraq country director for the U.N. World Food Program, tweeted, “Simply don’t believe the news reports.”

Sudipto Mukerjee, Sutton’s former colleague at the U.N. Development Program, tweeted that it was “very difficult” to believe the reports of suicide.

Charlie Winter, a senior researcher at London-based counter-extremism organization Quilliam, said he had just met with Sutton and did not “for 1 second believe” that she committed suicide. “When we met on Monday she was engaging, driven; seemed anything but suicidal.”

The Melbourne, Australia-based International Women’s Development Agency tweeted it would “be seeking answers and calling for urgent action” over Sutton’s death.

Sutton’s family was apparently also initially reluctant to believe the news but seems to have had a change of heart. The Sutton family released a statement explaining their reasons for accepting the suicide ruling.

“The family is satisfied with the investigation undertaken by the Turkish authorities. We were deeply sceptical about initial reports. But based on the evidence we have seen, at this stage we believe that Jacky acted alone,” they said.Borden also said several of Sutton’s colleagues will be traveling to Istanbul to talk with U.K. consulate officials and to attempt to speak to Turkish investigators. Indeed, several of Sutton’s friends and co-workers expressed their disbelief via Twitter.

Jane Pearce, Iraq country director for the U.N. World Food Program, tweeted, “Simply don’t believe the news reports.”

Sudipto Mukerjee, Sutton’s former colleague at the U.N. Development Program, tweeted that it was “very difficult” to believe the reports of suicide.

Charlie Winter, a senior researcher at London-based counter-extremism organization Quilliam, said he had just met with Sutton and did not “for 1 second believe” that she committed suicide. “When we met on Monday she was engaging, driven; seemed anything but suicidal.”

The Melbourne, Australia-based International Women’s Development Agency tweeted it would “be seeking answers and calling for urgent action” over Sutton’s death.

Sutton’s family was apparently also initially reluctant to believe the news but seems to have had a change of heart. The Sutton family released a statement explaining their reasons for accepting the suicide ruling.

“The family is satisfied with the investigation undertaken by the Turkish authorities. We were deeply sceptical about initial reports. But based on the evidence we have seen, at this stage we believe that Jacky acted alone,” they said.